A lot of people who sit or do the same things over and over again have tight hips and stiff muscles that make it hard for them to move. Stiff hips can make you uncomfortable, make your posture bad, and even hurt your lower back. Yoga is a great way to relax and make your hips more flexible and easier to move. These 14 yoga poses are all about stretching the muscles around your hips and opening them up to help you become more flexible overall.
Child’s Pose, or Balasana
Child’s Pose works for hip flexibility because it stretches your lower back and hips while relaxing the muscles in your thighs. This is a good pose for people who are new to yoga and want to make their hips more flexible.
How to do it: Kneel down and put your hands flat on the floor. Sit back slowly until your bottom moves toward your heels, and then stretch your arms out in front of you. Put your head on the mat and breathe in and out slowly and deeply.
What you get: This pose helps your hips and thighs open up and eases tension in your lower back. It also helps you calm down your mind and body.
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, or Pigeon Pose, is one of the best stretches for relaxing your hip flexors and easing tension in your lower back and glutes. How to do it: Put your hands on the floor and get down on your hands and knees. Put one knee in front of the other and behind the wrist that goes with it. Straighten your other leg behind you and slowly lower your hips toward the ground. Stay in this position for a few breaths before moving to the other side. Benefits: This pose deeply opens the hips and stretches the glutes, hip flexors, and lower back muscles.
Lizard Pose, or Utthan Pristhasana
Lizard Pose is a very deep stretch that works on the groin and hip flexors to help loosen up tight hips. How to do it: Get into a high plank position and move one foot forward until it is outside of your hands. Let your hips drop while keeping your back leg straight. Lowering your forearms to the floor will help you stretch more deeply. Benefits: This pose makes you more flexible and stretches the hip flexors, groin, and hamstrings.
Butterfly Pose, or Baddha Konasana
Why it makes your hips more flexible: Butterfly Pose loosens up your hip joints and makes the area around your inner thighs and groin less tight. How to do it: First, sit down and put the soles of your feet together. Let your knees drop to the sides. With both hands, hold on to your feet and gently push down to bring your knees closer to the ground. If you want a deeper stretch, you can hinge forward from your hips. Pros: It works the inner thigh muscles and groin area, making the hips more flexible and mobile.
Supta Baddha Konasana, also known as reclining bound angle pose
Why opening your hips works: This version of Butterfly Pose helps your body relax and stretch your hips at the same time. How to do it: First, lie down on your back. Put the bottoms of your feet together and let your knees fall to the floor on each side. Breathe deeply and slowly, and place your arms at your sides with your palms facing up. It stretches the hips and groin and helps the lower body relax.
The Happy Baby Pose, or Ananda Balasana
Why it helps with hip flexibility: Happy Baby Pose opens up your hip joints and stretches your inner thighs and groin area. It also helps your lower back muscles relax. How to do it: Begin by lying on your back. Pull both knees up to your chest. With your knees bent, reach up and grab the outside edges of your feet with your hands. Your hips should stay far apart. With a little pressure, push your knees down toward the ground. What you get: This pose stretches your hip flexors and inner thigh muscles and opens up your lower back.
Anjaneyasana, or low lunge
Low Lunge is a great way to stretch the hip flexors and build strength in your legs at the same time. This mix is great for loosening up tight hips. How to do it: Stand up straight to begin. Put one foot in front of the other and bend your knee so that it makes a right angle. Put your back knee on the floor to relax. Push your hips gently toward the front of your mat while keeping them facing forward. You can stretch more by raising both arms over your head. This pose stretches the quadriceps and hamstrings and lengthens the hip flexors. It also makes the legs more powerful.
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Anjaneyasana, or Crescent Lunge
The Crescent Lunge position is a more advanced version of the Low Lunge position. It stretches the hip flexor muscles even more. This pose also helps you practise balancing and keeping your core stable. How to do it: To begin, stand up straight with your feet together. Step forward with one foot and bend your front knee to lower yourself into a lunge. Keep your back leg straight and your heel off the ground. To make the stretch deeper, raise both arms straight up to the ceiling and slowly push your hips forward. Pros: This pose helps your hips become more flexible and able to move. It makes the hip flexor muscles in the legs longer and stronger.
Malasana, or squat pose
The Crescent Lunge is a different version of the Low Lunge that stretches your hip flexor muscles even more. It also helps you balance and strengthens your core while you hold the pose. To do it, stand up straight and take a big step forward with one foot. While lifting your heel off the ground, bend your front knee and keep your back leg straight. Raise both of your arms over your head and gently push your hips forward. This pose strengthens your leg muscles and stretches your hip flexors, which makes your hips more flexible.
Paschimottanasana, or Seated Forward Bend
The main thing this pose does is stretch out your hamstrings, but it also loosens up tight areas in your lower back and hips. How to do it: First, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Take a deep breath while sitting up straight and lengthening your spine. When you breathe out, bend forward at the hips and touch your feet with your hands. As you get deeper into the position, try to keep your back straight. Pros: This stretch works the muscles in your hamstrings and hips and also relaxes your lower back. It helps these areas become more flexible in general.
Parivrtta Anjaneyasana is also known as “Lunge with a Twist.”
Why it helps your hips move more freely: This position works on your hips and groin area and stretches your lower back. Your spine can move more easily when you twist it. How to do it: Get into a low lunge. Put your hand on the ground on the other side of your front leg. Stretch your other arm straight up to the ceiling while turning your upper body toward your bent leg. As you twist more, try to keep your hips pointing forward. What you get: Your hips become more flexible and open. Your groin muscles get a lot of exercise. Your spine can move more easily.
Warrior II, or Virabhadrasana II
Warrior II strengthens your legs and makes your hips and chest more flexible at the same time. This pose is great for improving your balance and flexibility. How to do it: Stand with your feet wide apart and turn one foot so that it points out. Keep your back leg straight and bend your front knee until it makes a right angle. This will make your body go down. Put both arms out to the sides so they are level with the floor, and look straight ahead. What you get: better balance, stronger leg muscles, and more movement in your hips.
Frog Pose, or Mandukasana
Warrior II is a great way to work out your legs while also opening up your hips and chest. This pose helps you stay balanced and makes you more flexible. To do it, spread your feet apart and turn one of them outward. Bend your front knee so that it makes a right angle and keep your back leg straight. Look straight ahead and put your arms out to the sides at shoulder height. What you get: stronger legs, more flexible hips, and better balance.
Bound Angle Pose, also known as Baddha Konasana
This seated position is a great way to stretch your hips and groin and make your inner thighs more flexible. Start by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Put the bottoms of your feet together so they touch. Let your knees fall to the sides on their own. Hold your feet with both hands and gently push down on your knees to get them closer to the ground. This pose helps loosen up tight muscles in the hips and groin and makes you more flexible overall.
